Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, would I really be publishing the stories on the internet for free? I think not.
Author's Notes: A big thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'm very happy that you are all enjoying the story. Now, here's chapter five.
Chapter Five
Revelations
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
So, that was it. That was the school they had told him he would have gone to if he hadn't gone missing.
Harry felt his jaw drop as he looked at the tall castle, with its fantastic towers that seemed to go on forever. From the carriage, he could see the reflection of the moon, upon a large lake, its waters calm, though he could tell that something stirred beneath the surface.
"Wow." He whispered, not knowing what else to say.
Never, in his entire life, had he seen such an amazing sight. The Dursleys, in their constant attempts to pretend that he didn't exist, had not ever bothered to take him anywhere if it wasn't absolutely necessary (even then, they were reluctant to take him to the doctor's, unless he was practically dying.)
His teenage years in Ireland had been just as unproductive, though they were at least lacking the malice of his late relatives. When he reached adulthood, Harry had the opportunity to see much more, have more freedom. Yet, still, he hadn't ever been to a place as magnificent as this.
His eyes continued scanning the castle, until he heard Ginny, beside him.
"Amazing, isn't it?" She said, not looking him in the eye, as she was also focused on Hogwarts. "I've missed it a lot."
Harry nodded, not knowing what else to say.
He still didn't know what to believe. They had told him that magic existed, that he was a wizard. How was he supposed to believe strangers that just showed up suddenly? Yet, they knew things about him, things that they shouldn't.
He didn't understand why he had followed them here, why he hadn't refused to come, and insisted on staying in Dublin. In the back of his mind, he knew that he would be better off here, but he simply didn't know why.
The carriage abruptly came to a halt, and Ron and Hermione got out first, everyone else following closely behind.
Taking his eyes off the castle for a brief moment, Harry caught a glimpse of what had troubled him before he entered the carriages.
Horses were pulling the carriages back in the direction they had come from, but they weren't like any normal horse that Harry had ever seen.
Their skin was stretched tightly around the bones and muscles, making them look like skeletons. If it hadn't been for the moonlight, Harry probably wouldn't even have been able to see them, as their dark skin perfectly matched the colour of the night sky.
Looking away suddenly, Harry continued walking, with everyone else in front of him. Ron and Hermione were engaged in a conversation, and Ginny, Neville and Luna were still surveying the castle happily.
The large front doors to the castle were quickly approaching, and Harry grew nervous as he walked up the steps.
The doors were already open, and Harry paused for a moment when he finally entered the castle.
If the outside was fabulous, it was nothing compared to the inside. The stone walls were carved with intricate patterns, and designs, and the ceiling was enormous. There were passages going in every direction, and Harry swore that he had seen a person in a portrait move.
"Welcome to Hogwarts." Ron said, grinning largely.
"It's incredible..." Harry replied, still marvelling at the castle.
"Come on, we'll take you to see Dumbledore." Ginny said, leading the way.
Harry walked quickly, falling into step beside Hermione, who immediately began talking about the castle.
"Hogwarts was created over a thousand years ago, Harry." She said quickly. "Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw all wished that there could be a school to educate young wizards and witches, to help them learn how to properly use their magic.
"They were four of the greatest wizards and witches of that age, and worked together to create the castle, hoping that it would be the answer to all their wishes..."
Hermione kept speaking, though Harry was now only picking-up bits and pieces. She mentioned some more things about the Founders, and the troubles they had encountered, then continued to talk about the rest of the history of the school. It was far too much information for Harry to take in right now, especially considering that he hadn't slept in days.
Somehow, the feuds among the Founders, and the more recent additions to Hogwarts, seemed insignificant when compared to the other information he had learned. About himself. About Voldemort. About his parents.
Harry was pulled from his thoughts when he noticed that Hermione had grown silent, and everyone had stopped walking. They were now standing in front of a humongous stone gargoyle.
"Pepper Imps." Ginny said, and the gargoyle began to move.
Pepper Imps, he supposed, was the password to somewhere. Still, it was a very odd password to use, and Harry wondered what it meant...
"Don't ask." Ron said quietly, looking at Harry's confused expression.
The stone gargoyle had moved enough to reveal a staircase, and Harry began to climb, after everyone else.
Finally, they reached a door, with a large Griffin in the center.
Ginny knocked on the door, and they waited a moment for it to open.
In the doorway stood a very strict-looking woman, and though she was old, it was clear that she still had plenty of strength and energy.
"Hi, Professor." Ginny smiled.
Hermione also greeted her. "Hello, Professor McGonagall."
"Hello." Professor McGonagall's thin lips curved into a small smile. Her eyes scanned on the group, before resting upon Harry.
Harry felt nervous under her gaze, though he managed to keep eye contact.
"Mr. Potter." She said, her expression a mixture of surprise and relief. "Please, come in."
Harry entered the office apprehensively, and heard the other five follow him before the door closed.
A few people gasped when they saw him, and others simply looked on, in shock. Harry looked to the floor of the office, trying to ignore the intense stares of everyone in the room.
"Welcome, Harry." A greeting came from a male voice, at the desk in the center of the office, and Harry looked up to see an old man, smiling at him.
Old might have been a slight understatement. The man's white hair and beard fell below his waist, and his face was filled with wrinkles. What Harry noticed most, however, were the old man's sparkling blue eyes, hidden behind half-moon spectacles.
"I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts." He continued, his face expressing only happiness, not the shock of the other occupants of the room. "I presume that you have already been told quite a bit about Hogwarts, and your past?"
"Yes, sir." Harry nodded.
"Very well." Dumbledore smiled. "I suppose I should introduce you to everyone."
Dumbledore gestured towards a tall, red-headed man in the corner. "This is Arthur Weasley. He works at the Ministry of Magic."
"Very nice to meet you." Mr. Weasley said, leaving his shocked expression for one of happiness and warmth.
"You, too, sir." Harry replied.
"This is Professor Severus Snape." Dumbledore continued, now gesturing toward an unfriendly man, with greasy, black hair and pale skin. "He is the Potions Master."
"Hello, nice to meet you." Harry said, eyeing the man cautiously.
Snape merely nodded in reply, and glared menacingly. Harry found himself wishing he hadn't even made an effort to be polite.
Lastly, Dumbledore came to a man, whose grey-streaked brown hair and tired face seemed far too old for his age.
"This, Harry, is Remus Lupin." Dumbledore said
"Hello." Harry greeted, hoping the man would be more friendly than Snape.
He smiled, and Harry noticed that Lupin was studying him closely. "Hello, Harry," he said, his voice quiet and reserved.
"Now," Dumbledore resumed his speech, "please sit down, Harry." He gestured toward a chair, and Harry sat. "I believe that we have plenty of things that need to be discussed. First of all, what do you know so far?"
"I'm a wizard." Harry hoped he sounded confident, because he still didn't entirely believe the words that were coming out of his mouth.
"And, do you believe this?" Dumbledore asked.
Harry's eyes widened, as the Headmaster seemed to have read his mind. "Yes... well, I mean, it sort of makes sense, but it is hard to believe."
"I see." Dumbledore nodded. "I assure you that this is the truth, Harry. As hard to believe as it may seem, you are magical, like your parents, and everyone else in this room. However, there is much more to your history than that. Please, forgive me if I mention something that you have already been told.
"From 1970 until 1981, the Wizarding World was involved in a war, against the dark wizard, Voldemort." Many people in the room flinched, though Dumbledore didn't seem to notice. "Toward the end of the war, you and your parents became a target of his."
"Why me?" Harry interrupted, wondering what could cause a dark wizard to be concerned with an innocent baby. Many people in the room seemed to have suddenly gained interest in Dumbledore's speech, as though they were also unaware of the answer to Harry's question.
Dumbledore sighed deeply, before speaking again. "That, I am afraid, is a question that requires a very complex answer, one which I am not sure that I can give you completely at this point in time.
"What I can tell you, however, is that Voldemort somehow got the idea that later on in your life you would become a threat to him. He began working tirelessly to locate you and your parents, in an attempt to kill you when you were young."
Harry didn't understand how Voldemort could get an idea like that, and he doubted that the dark wizard's concern had been entirely valid. However, he continued listening.
"When he finally found the three of you, it was on Hallowe'en of 1981."
Harry nodded knowingly.
Dumbledore didn't continued speaking for a moment, instead looking around the room, and the various witches and wizards.
Professor McGonagall seemed to have gotten his point. "We'd best leave now." She said, addressing everyone else. No one dared argue, so they followed her out of the office, some of them smiling at Harry and Dumbledore, before leaving.
The door shut, and Dumbledore resumed speaking. "Though I was not there, I knew your parents very well, and I don't doubt that they fought bravely against him, trying to protect you until the end."
Harry looked away, trying to concentrate on what else Dumbledore was saying, and not the tragic deaths of his parents.
"Finally, he approached you and attempted the Killing Curse, which he had become quite skilled at casting at that point, but the curse did not work. Instead, it hit you, leaving you with that scar, and rebounded upon Voldemort.
"During his lifetime, Voldemort had become obsessed with the concept of immortality, of a life in which death was not an option. Over the years, he worked on various spells and enchantments to prevent his death. Thus, when the curse struck him, it removed the life from him, but did not manage to kill him." Harry wasn't sure if he completely understood what he was being told, but listened intently anyway. "He became something of a spirit, neither living nor dead."
"Sir, why didn't the curse work?" Harry asked, finally voicing the question that had been on his mind for a while.
Dumbledore sighed heavily. "Your mother, I believe, may have played a large part in that."
Harry raised an eyebrow, waiting for the Headmaster to explain further.
"You see, when your mother died, she was trying to protect you. The love that she had for you stayed with you even after her death. That love, the love that caused her to be willing to die to give you a chance at a happy life, gave you protection from Voldemort."
Harry nodded, not meeting Dumbledore's eyes. He really hoped the Headmaster wouldn't notice that his eyes were suddenly quite wet.
"Harry, I am very sorry that you have had to endure a life without a proper, caring family, just as I am sorry that I did not manage to find you sooner." Dumbledore spoke quietly.
Harry nodded once more, though he managed to meet Dumbledore's eyes this time. "He's back now, right? Voldemort, I mean." He asked.
"Yes, I'm afraid he is." Dumbledore answered, his voice taking on an even more sad tone. "It would seem that your disappearance had a great deal to do with that. When you were found in Ireland, you were bleeding, correct?"
"Yeah." Harry said, wondering how the Headmaster already knew this.
"I believe that Voldemort may have found some ancient method of creating a body for himself, with the use of your blood." Dumbledore continued.
"There's a way to come back from the dead?" Harry said, eyes widening.
"Ah, remember what I said before, Harry." Dumbledore replied. "Voldemort was never truly dead."
"Right." Harry answered, looking down, and feeling quite foolish that he had asked Dumbledore that question.
"Now, Harry, I believe we must discuss your future. You have been away from the Wizarding World for nearly eighteen years, and have had time to develop a life of your own, one vastly different from anything in this world." Dumbledore said. "I must ask you, do you wish to return to the life you have already begun, or stay here and live as a wizard?"
Harry had an eerie feeling that Dumbledore already knew what he would say, but he answered anyway. "I want to stay here. I have nothing in Ireland."
"I see." Dumbledore replied, getting up from his chair. "Now, I should probably show you where you will be temporarily staying."
Harry also got up, and followed the Headmaster out of the office.
A few hours later, Harry was sitting quietly, staring out the window at the night sky. He had been offered a room at Hogwarts for a few weeks, until a more permanent residence was found. His room was quite large, decorated in red and gold, with a four-poster bed.
Unable to sleep, Harry had stayed up, thinking about the events of the past few days.
He tried to focus on the Wizarding World as a whole, and the fact that he was a wizard. He tried thinking of how he was leaving behind his past in Ireland. He tried thinking of all the new people he had met, and of the new places he had been.
Yet, still, his mind always went back to one thing. His parents.
They died protecting him, Dumbledore had said. If he hadn't been born, if he didn't exist, they would still be alive, and happy.
He couldn't shake the feelings of guilt that were engulfing him. He wished that somehow, he could go back in time and change everything, but he knew it was impossible. He felt obligated, though, to do something.
It was his fault that they were dead.
That wasn't the only thing that was his fault, though. He had played a part in Voldemort's rebirth. He knew that he never intended to help Voldemort, but he had been a part of whatever method had brought the Dark Lord back. His blood was coursing through the veins of that evil wizard, and was helping to keep him alive.
Harry stood-up straight, removing his hands from the windowsill. He crossed the room, and shook his head, trying to rid it of those thoughts.
Harry paced around the room for a moment, until he had finally managed to clear his head. He glanced at the clock, barely registering the fact that it was far past midnight.
Turning around he came face to face with his reflection in the mirror, and stepped closely, surveying the image he saw.
His eyes were bloodshot, and it was clear that it had been a while since he'd slept. What he noticed the most, however, was not on the outside. When he looked in the mirror, he felt, for the first time, as if he was truly looking at a wizard.
Yes, they had told him days ago that he was a wizard, but he either hadn't been able to believe it, or hadn't fully comprehended it. Now, standing in Hogwarts, he felt as if it was actually true. Even the castle itself seemed to radiate magic.
It was overwhelming.
He didn't know how to deal with this, or what he was supposed to do. Backing away, he felt the back of his knees hit the bed, and he sank down onto it, finally letting everything soak in.
Everything was actually true. All of it. This was not some big joke, or lie. He was going to learn how to use magic, to spend the rest of his life in the Wizarding World, and to be surrounded by people that actually cared about him.
He rested his head on the pillow, and closed his eyes, smiling slightly at the prospect of a better life.
I'm really a wizard, was the last though that went through his head before he drifted off to sleep.
Thanks for reading! Please review; comments and constructive criticism welcome.
